1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a process description method and a process classification method intended for making it possible to make the most of knowledge about processes across fields by describing and classifying various processes existing in the real world based on commonality across fields.
This invention also relates to a process description method and a process classification method for aiding in analyzing and designing processes.
This invention further relates to a process description method and a process knowledge database for making it possible to make the most of processes and process coordination method across fields and areas by describing processes centering on the dependence relationship between activities independent of fields or areas and systematizing the described process knowledge using a plurality of classification structures responsive to purposes when putting various processes existing in the real world and coordination method for coordinating the processes input a database.
Hitherto, to describe a process, a description method and a classification method fitted for the purpose for each scientific field or industrial field has been adopted. The processes mentioned here refer to general processes modeled in a wide range of fields, such as a software program, a manufacturing process, a supply chain, a work flow, a business process, a circulation system of an ecological system, and homeostasis of living creatures.
The invention focuses attention on the fact that even processes in different fields are common in essential nature (dependence relationship between activities and method for coordinating the dependence relationship=process knowledge) across the fields, and makes it possible to make the most of the process knowledge mutually across the fields.
The process knowledge common across the fields is, for example, knowledge of arrival order processing of order jobs and knowledge about FIFO (first-in, first-out) in queue management of computers. The arrival order processing in order jobs is the same as the FIFO in queue management of computers. Thus, from the viewpoint of the process knowledge, it is desirable that the process knowledge can be used not only in each field, but also for mutual problem solution, hypothesis making, etc. However, hitherto, the process knowledge has been described for each field by the description method proper to each field, thus it has been difficult to mutually use the process knowledge.
In the invention, a process knowledge database is constructed by a description method capable of representing the process knowledge found and developed in various fields in common and a classification method for organizing relevant processes across the fields and process analysis and process design jobs are supported by making the most of the process knowledge database. process knowledge has been described for each field by the description method proper to each field, thus it has been difficult to mutually use the process knowledge.
In the invention, a process knowledge database is constructed by a description method capable of representing the process knowledge found and developed in various fields in common and a classification method for organizing relevant processes beyond the fields and process analysis and process design jobs are supported by making the most of the process knowledge database.
2. Description of Related Art
The following references are available as related arts:
Reference [1]
Malone, T. W. and Crowston, K.: The interdisciplinary study of coordination, ACM Computing Surveys, 26 (1), 87-119, November 1993
Reference [2]
Malone, T. W., Crowston, K., Lee, J. and Pentland, B.: “Tools for inventing organizations: Toward a handbook of organizational processes,” In Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE Workshop on Enabling Technologies Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprises. Morgantown, W. Va., May 20-22, 1993
Reference [3]
Malone, T. W., Crowston, K., Lee, J., Pentland, B. and Dellarocas, C. Computer system for displaying representations of processes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,270 (Oct. 6, 1998)., Malone, T. W., Crowston, K., Lee, J., Pentland, B. and Dellarocas, C. A computerized handbook of processes. European Patent No. 0692113 (Oct. 14, 1998).
Reference [4]
Jacobson, I. Et al.: Object-Oriented Software Engineering-A Use Case Driven Approach, the ACM press, New York (1992). (Translated by NISHIOKA Toshihiro et al.: Object shikou software kougaku OOSE, Toppan (1995))
Reference [5]
OKABE Masao et al.: Object shikou modeling shuhou MELON; “Object shikou saizensen,” subtitle “Jyouhou shori gakkai 96 symposium” (Sha) Jyouhou shori gakkai software kougaku kenkyukai Edited by AOYAMA Mikio and FUKASAWA Yoshiaki, Asakura Shoten, Jul. 5, 1996, first edition.
Reference [6]
Fujituu KK: Soshiki katudou database no kouchiku houhou, sorenishiyousuru bunseki sheet nonyuuryoku houhou oyobi soshiki katudou kanri system, Tokkyo kouhou dai 2923552 gou.
Reference [7]
Fujituu KK: Gyoumu object no jidouseiseisouchi oyobi houhou narabini gyoumu object seisei program wo kirokishita computer yomitorikanouna kirokubaitai, Koukai tokkyo kouhou Heisei 11-119987 gou
Reference [8]
KK Hitachi seisakusho: Work flow system kaihatu shien houhou, Koukai tokkyo kouhou Heisei 11-085880 gou
Reference [9]
Shimizu kensetu KK: Tougouteki seisan project jyouhou kanri system, Koukai tokkyo kouhou Heisei 6-044255 gou
Reference [10]
KK Hitachi seisakusho: Jyouhou shori tejyun no seiseishouchi, Koukai tokkyo kouhou Shouwa 62-057023 gou
Reference [11]
Thomas W. Malone, Kevin Growston, Jintae Lee, Brian Pentland, Chrysanthos Dellarocas, George Wyner, John Quimby, Charles S. Osborn, Abraham Bernstein, George Herman, Mark Klein, and Elissa O'Donnell: Tools for inventing organizations: Toward a handbook of organizational processes. Management Science 45(3) pp 425-443, October 1998
In techniques of describing and classifying process knowledge in related arts, databases proper to fields are developed by the process description methods dependent on the fields. (References 6, 9, and 10) However, even processes in different fields may be common in essential nature across the fields. For example, arrival order processing in order jobs is the same as FIFO (first-in, first-out) in queue management of computers. The study field of paying attention to such nature and describing process knowledge in various fields according to common model for attempting to clarify scientifically is coordination science in progress in MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (Reference 1). Coordination defined in the coordination science refers to “managing of dependence relationship between activities” and in the coordination science, this definition is called coordination theory. MIT obtains US and European patents relating to a process representation display system for describing and classifying job processes in various business categories in common based on the coordination theory (References 2 and 3). The processes described according to activities and the dependence relationship between the activities are classified only by two hierarchical structures of abstract-concrete form relationship (specialization) and part-whole relationship (decomposition). In a system developed in MIT (Reference 11), the basic types for classifying the dependence relationships between activities are three types of Flow, Fit, and Share.
On the other hand, in techniques relating to process description, particularly to information processes and human processes, the patents of describing processes using object-oriented models are mainstream at present (References 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9). The former patents are characterized by process description assuming a target domain and thus do not assume integrating of process descriptions of a plurality of different target domains. In one of the patents (Reference 6), processes are represented by verbs, objects of the verbs are limited to six types, and they are managed in a class hierarchy, whereby a work process database is realized.
In the object-oriented study conscious of target domains, a method of analyzing the characteristic of a target domain and then describing a model is under study. In OOSE by Jacobson, I. Et al. Reference 4), interaction with the system outside is described as a use case and an interface object is modeled as an analysis model based on the use case, then a real object corresponding to the real world is modeled. In multilevel recognition logic network MELON by OKABE Masao et al. (Reference 5), positioning of job domains is made clear, object of “role ground” is introduced as unit of dynamic behavior, and aside from the object, “atom object model” is introduced to share information, and the models are related to each other.
However, a problem of object-oriented models on integrally describing process knowledge lies in that if the number of targets to be modeled as object is regarded as plural or one because of the viewpoint difference between analyzers, analysis models must be again constructed individually because of the object definition difference. The reason is that in the object-oriented technique, subject of object is defined and a procedure is described as an attribute of the execution subject and thus if the subject differs, it must be described as another process.
In contrast, in the process description based on the coordination theory, a process is described centering on “activity” corresponding to a procedure in the object-oriented technique and is represented as the dependence relationship between activities. The execution subject is regarded as one of “resources” required for activity. Thus, if the subject differs, the dependence relationship between activities does not change. Thus, it is made possible to describe process knowledge across the field dependence.
For example, a supply chain in affiliated companies becomes a chain of companies if it is viewed in the object-oriented technique, but becomes the dependence relationship between business activities if it is viewed from the coordination theory. Therefore, one company farms out a part of activities as outsourcing or merges one affiliated company, an object-oriented model 18 needs to be again constructed; a model based on the coordination theory 19 can be handled as the same model unless the dependence relationship between activities changes. (FIG. 1)
In the related arts, the fields in which described processes exist are limited and thus an apparatus and method for systematically aiding in using the process knowledge across the fields cannot easily be constructed. Therefore, for example, a company consultant abstracts the processes in different business categories by experience for re-adaptation. However, this is limited to the field at which the consultant is good, and depends on the experience and the abstract capability of the consultant, thus variations of process propositions that can be selected are limited to the field and personal variations occur; this is a problem.
On the other hand, to describe processes in various fields and business categories integrally, the purpose, scale, resources, representation granularity, and the like of process description depend on the rationality of the party describing and using the process. Thus, if integrated description method and classification method are used for realization, all attributes and classification structures must be described integrally; this is also a problem.